Clock.



J. J. BUSENBENZ.

CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18, 1912.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

. fisen erzsg J. J. BUSENBENZ.

CLOCK.

APPLIUATION FILED 00T- 1s, 1912.

1,069,316, Patented Aug". 5, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED strAtrEs P TENT- oFFIoE.

JACOB J. BUSENBENZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO DIFFERENTIAL CLOGK CO OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

oLocK.

To all whom it may concern: M

Be it known that I, JAooB J; BUSENBENZ, a citizen of'the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new anduseful I mprovement-in Clocks, of which the followingis a specification.

My present invention is an improvement in the drivingmechanism ofLetters Patent No. 973,854, granted to me October 25th, 1910, in which ahelical spring connecting a primary motorfand a train of gears surroundsa core containing an enlargement, the spring constantly undergo-ingcontraction, by the power of the motor, about the core and unwinding atits train-dr'ivin g end, with power, controlled by the breaking orchoking action of the enlargement, only about sufficient to drivethe'train. Thus, however powerful vthe primary 'motor may be, theregulating action of the core-enlargement preventsits being used to agreater extent than is required to overcome the -;resistance ofthetrain. In this way, when, as ismy practice, this device, which is in thenature of a difieren'tial governor, is positioned immediately below thehour-shaft, it divides the clock, as it were, into two distinct units,

- namely, the train from the center arbor to the escape-wheel, with thepallet as the timemeasuring unit, while the train below the center arborforms the motoror power unit. The object of my present improvement is toprovide means for regulating with desirable accuracy the tension of thetrain-driving section of the spring to that required for driving orovercoming the resistance of the train. In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a broken view in sectional elevation of a clock embodying myimprovement; Fig. 2

is an enlarged broken view in section showing the improved regulatingmeans; Fig. 3

' is a view in side elevation of the expansible and contractiblecore-section; Fig. 4 is an end view of the same, and Flg. 5 1s a view 1nside elevation of the stem-devicefor expanding and contracting the core.

As in'the aforesaid patent, the motor 5 is shown as two similarfiat-spring coils carrying corresponding gears 6 and 7 to mesh with aninterposed pinion 8, part of the clock-train 9 being illustrated withshafts 10 and 11 carrying, respectively, the hour and minute hands 12and 13; and the pinion Sis.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 5,1913.

Application filed October 18, 1912. Serial No. 726,519.

journaled on one end of a cylindrical core 14 provided nearest themotor. with the power-reducing enlargement 15, the core having journaledon its opposite end a gear- Wheel 16 meshing with the first gear of thetrain, and being surrounded by the helical spring 17 secured at itsopposite ends, respectively, to a sleeve 3 extending from the pinion 8anda sleeve extending from the gear-wheel 16. The operation is the sameas 6 described in said patent, namely, the recoilforce of the woundmotor-springs in unwinding, turns the pinion 8 in one direction, therebytensioning the spring 17 throughout its length about the core untilfurther tensioning thereof is obstructed by the enlarge ment 15, andthus constantly winds the spring 17 at one end while it is unwindingcorrespondingly at the opposite end todrive the train, the enlargementreducing the ex- '7! cessive power of the motor to that required fordriving the train.

As will be seen, the internal diameter of the spring 17 and the externaldiameter of the core have a direct relation in the calibras 81 the gear16 is active. For different trains,

therefore, to which this patented governor may be applied, the tensionof the drivingsection of the spring 17 must be appropriate, 9 and torender it so by regulation I provide means for expanding and contractingthe core-enlargcmcnt, of the following-described preferred construction.

The core 1 1 is divided transversely, 9 through its enlargement,forminga section 14 which is hollow, and a section 14 which is hollow to thepoint 14", adjacent to which it is internally threaded. The section 14which is of sufliciently resilient 1 metal, as brass, is splitlongitudinally into four equal sections, the splits extending about to apoint :ufrom the extremity of the enlarged end of the section, which isinter.- nally beveled at its mouth, as shown at-18. 1 A stem 19,provided on its outer end with a hand-wheel -2O, fits rot tably in thecoresection 14 beyond which itis formed with the core connected at oneend with said mo- 1.) in the core-section 14 havinga thread 15) on itsmid-portion to engage the threads in that section.

By turning the stem 19 to screw it inwardly or outwardly, resultantadvancement or withdrawal in the COlG-SC *tion 14 at the bevel 18, 01"?the wedge 19 causes expansion' or contraction of the enlargement,thereby reducmgm the one case and increasing 1n the other the extent towhich the motor can contract the spring about the enlargement.

and, accordingly, the tension of the traindrivmg spring-section. Th s2l(l]1]St-1'I1Ilt or the driving-tension of the spring 17 is3veryreadily efiected by the described means providedfor the purpose, whethermy-patented device, equipped therewith, be applied, as it may, to aclock-train or other gear. I real- -ize', however, that-considerablevariation is possible in the details of construction ofmy presentimprovement thus specifically shown 'and described, and I do not intendby illustrating a single, specific or preferred form, to llnnt myinvention thereto; my 1ntenhon-being 1n the followmg claims to claimprotection upon all the novelty there may be inthe device as broadly-asthestate of the art will permit.

l/Vhat I. claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is- 1. Incombination, a primary motor, a train of gears, a core, a helicalsprmg'about tor and at its oppositeend with said train to be contractedabout the core by the powerof the motor, regulating means cooperatingwith the springbetween its ends to form and limit the extent oftensioning the trainaotuating section thereof, and means for increasingand decreasing, at will, the limit of tensioning said section.

2. In combination, a primary-motor, a train of gears, a core providedwith an enlargement between its ends, a helical spring about said coreand enlargement geared at one end to said motor and at its opposite endto said train, and means for expanding and contracting, at will, saidenlargement.

3. In combination, a primary motor, a train of gears, a core providedbetween its ends with an enlargement formed of re.

ing into said split section thereof .and provided with a Wedge engagingsaid. resilient sections, and a helical spring about said core-andenlargement geared at one end to said -motor and .at its opposite end tosaid train.

5. In combination, a primary motor, a train of gears, a hollow coredivided between its ends into two sections, one section I having alongitudinally-split enlargement on' one end forming resilient sect-ionsthereof and containing an inwardly-tapering mouth and screw-threads atits inner end, a handle-equipped stem rotatable in said coresections,threaded at its inner end to engage said screw-threads and provided witha. tapering section between its ends to 006pcrate \Vltll said mouth, anda helicaLsprmg about said core and enlargement geared at one end to saidmotor and at its opposite end t-osaid train.

. JACOB J. BUSENBENZ. In presence of I 'NELLIE B. DEARBORN,

D. C. THORSEN.

